Merry Christmas
by my-place12
Summary: A Christmas morning with Steve, Danny, and Grace. :)


Grace's eyes flashed open. It was dark and cool air drifted through her room a met her nose, chilling it.

She looked over at her bedside clock. 7:30.

Even though she was 13, surely, she had waited long enough.

Grace threw her covers off her body and stepped out of her bed. She opened her door and tip toed down the hallway.

She opened another door and rushed to her father, who was sleeping soundly with an arm around his waist belonging to Steve, her recently made step father, whom she loved dearly.

She grinned as she stood there and watched them. She loved seeing them together. . .so happy and so content.

Danny opened his sleepy eyes to his daughter staring at him. "Grace. You startled me. What are you doing up?"

"Merry Christmas, Danno! It's time to wake up to see what Santa left us!"

Danny grinned at her excited tone. "Merry Christmas, Monkey."

Steve opened his eyes as well at the voices and grinned as he saw Grace.

"Stevo! It's time to wake up!"

"Don't I get a Merry Christmas?" Steve asked tilting his head.

Grace jumped on the bed and dived in between them. "Merry Christmas, Stevo!" She grinned as she wiggled in between them. Danny turned to watch Grace and Steve.

Steve laughed and sat up on his forearm. "Merry Christmas, Grace. Have you been good this year?"

Grace nodded.

"I don't know, Grace. I think we're going to have to go see what Santa thought last night when he dropped by." Steve grinned.

"Then let's go!" Grace shouted excitedly as she stood up and ran off the bed down the hallway.

Steve looked at Danny and grinned. "I thought she was too old for Santa."

Danny smiled. "Keep up, babe. That was last year. This is this year. Plus, I think adding you to the family made him cool again."

Steve let out a laugh. "Well, then, let's go, Danno!" He said in a hushed, excited tone, imitating Grace's energy.

Danny laughed and threw the covers off his body. He stood from the bed and walked around the bed, grabbing Steve's hand as they walked out of their room to follow Grace downstairs into the living room.

Grace sat at the tree and looked at all the presents underneath it. "I have been good, Stevo. See?"

Danny smiled as he walked into the kitchen to put on the coffee maker. Steve grinned as he looked at the presents. "I do see. And I knew you were a good girl. If Santa thought differently, I would have had a serious conversation with him."

Grace grinned as Danny walked into the room. Steve sat on the couch and Danny sat in between his legs. Steve wrapped his arms around Danny's waist and kissed his head of messy morning hair.

They sat back and watched as Grace picked her first present up. "That one I believe is from Grandpa and Grandma." Danny said as she opened the card. She read it and proceeded to open the present. She grinned as she set the box lid aside and lifted what was in it. It was exactly what she had asked for.

Danny and Steve smiled as she lifted out new pom-poms, a pair of white tennis shoes, and a variety of hair accessories for cheer.

Grace turned to Danny and Steve. "Thank you."

"Make sure you call Grandma and Grandpa and tell them thank you, too." Danny told her. She nodded and reached for another gift. It was a fair size.

"That one's from me." Steve called to her.

Danny grinned. He and Steve had a discussion on what an appropriate gift for Grace would be this year. . .since previous years, Steve had been a little. . .confused about what an appropriate gift for a child would be. However, this year, Steve had surprised him.

Grace tore the wrapping paper away and opened the box. Steve chuckled as he watched her eye light up in surprise and excitement. "No way! Steve!" She squealed in excitement as she pulled out another box. It was a camera. She had been wanting one, but had not expected one so nice.

"That box with the silver and gold wrapping will go great with it." Danny added looking at Steve. The man smiled at him. They had planned the perfect pair of gifts for Grace.

Grace opened the wrapping paper and her stomach dropped. "A laptop?!" She looked up at Steve and Danny in disbelief.

"Well, we figured since you're almost in high school and you've told us some of your interests that you want to try, we figured it was time to let you try them out."

Grace looked at the box and held it gently, bringing it to her chest as she looked up at them. "Thanks, you guys. So, much."

They both grinned at her. "Merry Christmas, Grace." They said together, chuckling after they said it.

"Merry Christmas, you guys." Grace smiled at them.

"Well, go on, Monkey. You have a lot more gifts it looks like." Danny smiled at her. He and Steve proceeded to watch her open her gifts. She received a card from Kono, who had gone to her favorite surf shop and reserved a board for Grace to custom design when she was ready and Kono had also mentioned that she would take Grace surfing and give her a few tips on board keeping. Grace also received a necklace and a gift card to an electronics store from Chin. She also received many more gifts that she had opened and set aside. She picked up her camera.

Steve smiled at Grace as she fiddled with the new camera. "How about you go set up your new gadgets in your room, Grace? Dad and I can get started with breakfast."

"Okay, Dad." She said without thinking.

Steve looked up at her. _Did I hear her right? Did she just call me dad?_ He watched her stand and walk over to them with her computer and camera in hand.

"Thank you both again. Merry Christmas." She smiled as she hugged and kissed Danny on the cheek and then did the same with a still shocked Steve.

"Merry Christmas, Monkey." Danny called after her.

"Merry Christmas, Babs." Steve said quietly as he stared at the lit tree.

Danny smiled at Steve's nickname for Grace. He turned to stretch his legs over one of Steve's legs. "Remind me why you call her that again?"

Steve placed a hand on Danny's knee and grinned. "Babs is short for baboon. . .It's derived from you calling her Monkey. Like how Stevo is her version of Danno but for me."

Danny grinned. "Wasn't there another reason?"

"Yeah, Babs is a term of endearment. Like 'book 'em, Danno'." Steve continued to stare at the tree, zoning out slightly.

Danny smiled at his response, but then it faded as he looked at Steve. "Are you okay, babe?"

Steve shook himself and looked at Danny. "Um. . .yeah." He smiled. "She called me 'dad' before she left. . ."

Danny grinned. "How do you feel about it?"

Steve smiled and nodded. "I love it."

Danny grasped onto Steve's hand. "Good to hear. She seems to be adjusting to us being together. Not like she wasn't before, but. . .she seems to be settling. Which I think is good."

Steve smiled as he glanced down at their hands. He looked back up at Danny. "It is." They sat quietly for a while before Steve spoke again. "I have your gift."

"Yeah?" Danny looked eager.

"Mmm-hmm. Look in the cabinet."

Danny got up and opened a cabinet next to the tree. He pulled out a large box wrapped in silver wrapping paper. He moved back to the couch, swinging his legs across Steve's leg again. Steve placed his elbow on the couch and his head in his hand watching Danny.

Danny grinned as he tore open the gift and when he saw his gift, he tilted his head back and laughed.

"I know your last one crapped out on you, so. . .yeah. And. . .I knew you ordered another one, but I had ordered this one. . .so. . .I may have cancelled that one. . .that's why it didn't come, like a week ago."

Danny laughed again. "Aw, thank you, babe!" He turned and kissed Steve's cheek and looked back at the gift.

"Yep! You've been using Grace's, now you don't have to!"

"Oh, gosh. She's gotten so fed up with me using hers. She'll be glad I got it. Where did you get it at?"

"Kelly's. She was very helpful." Steve smiled at him.

"Well, I can do my hair before breakfast and not look like a sea monster."

Steve laughed. "You never look like a sea monster." He put his head to Danny's and then quickly kissed his neck.

"I hope it didn't set us back too much." Danny clutched the box in his arms looking at Steve.

"Danny, it's a hair dryer. And you needed one! I would've gotten you one even if they were $1,000. It would be strange, a hair dryer costing $1,000, but I would've worked it out."

Danny shook his head. "Thank you, babe." Danny looked over the features on the box to his new hair dryer and chuckled before setting it aside. "I have something for you, too."

"Oh, do tell." Steve grinned as Danny got up and went into the hall closet. He pulled out a small gift and sat back in Steve's lap and pushed the gift into his hands.

It was small and compact. Steve lifted it and shook it. "What is it?" He didn't hear anything from shaking it.

"Hey, easy! You can open it and find out." Danny grinned.

Steve smiled as he tore at the paper. He looked at his gift.

Danny watched as his smile faded. The man's face portrayed a slightly lost look. "No good?" Danny asked, worried that he hated the gift.

Steve shook his head. "It's exactly what I wanted. And needed. How did you know?"

Danny smiled softly. "I have Santa on speed dial."

Steve smiled. "Serious, Danny."

Danny sighed through his nose. "I noticed you broke your last one during the Branson case." He grinned as Steve flipped over and read the back of the case for his new FoxFury Pistol Light. "I figured it was probably time for a new one. Especially if we're going to be crawling around in dark places next year."

Steve beamed as he looked at Danny. "Thank you, Danny."

"Merry Christmas, babe."

"Merry Christmas, darling." Steve said in a whispered as he grinned and took Danny's cheeks in his hands, placing a lasting kiss to Danny's lips.


End file.
